Apparatus for separating the metallic and rocky constituents of ores.



D. H. NORRIS.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATSNG IHE METALLIC AND ROCKY CONSTITUENTS OF ORES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 1915.

L 17 35 a Patented Jan. 1L 1916.

,- v; SATESPATENT oer DUDLEY H. NORRIS, or sen rnanorsoo, camroanm.

ArrAnA'rUs roe snrniterme rnn METALIQIC LAND. ROCKY cons'rrrunn'rs or. ones.

Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed :Aprfl 5, 1915. Serial No. 19,314.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, DU LEY H. Ilonms, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Ap-' paratus for Separating the Metallic and Rocky Constituents of Ores, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip- .tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and .use the same.

This invention relates to the co ncentration of metallic ores.

In any prior United States" Patent #973,586, dated December 10, 1907, I have described an apparatus for separating the metallic and rocky constituents bf ores which comprises means for introducing wa-' ter containing air in solution into a mixture cf crushed ore -and water, so as tocause nascent bubbles of air to form continuously in said mixture "and rise to the surface thereof to carry oif the metallic particles of the ore, the metallic particles which are carried to the surface by said air bubbles being collected and saved for further metallurgical treatment.

The object of my present invention is to provide an apparatus which is an improyement on the apparatus described in my prior patent above mentioned, in that it insures the recovery of a great percentage of the metallic particles of the ore being treated and also tendsto eliminate the necessity of re-treating the ore', or running it through the separating apparatusseveral. times.

To this end I havedevised an apparatus for treating metallic ores, which comprises means for introducing-i aerated water or water containing air solution into a flowing mixture of pulverized ore and water at a number of different levels'or at a number of points intermediate theinlet and outlet;

in contact with the flowing mixture releases 3 the bubbles of air contained i the aerated water, thereby causing small nascent bubbles of air to form continuously in the .mixture. 'Said bubbles of air' attach themselves to the metallic particles of thefore, andas; said bubbles rise upwardly'through the mixture,"

theycarry the metallic particles of the ore to the surface of the mixture.

In view of the fact that aerated water or water'containing air in solution is introduced into the. mixture at a number of different levels, or at a number of diiferent points along the path of travel of the mixture, the recovery of a relatively great. percentage of the metallic particles of the" ore is assured, on account of the fact that .any bubbles of air which are dissolved. -by-'the water in the mixture before said j bubbles reach the. surfaces are replaced by of air created at one of the lower zones, in a vertical apparatus, dissolve before they reach the surface of the mixture, the bubbles Patented Jan. 11, 19 16.-

of air created at a higher zone will compensate' for the bubblesthat have dissolved, or, in other words, continue the upward movement of the'metallic particles of the ore to which the dissolved bubbles were at tached. The container through which the mixture flows is preferably arranged vertically and made comparatively high, and sufiicient aerated-water zones are provided to insure practically a complete'separation of the metallic and rocky constituents of the ore before the mixture reaches the outlet of the container, thereby tending to eliminate the necessity of re-treating the mixture or running it through the apparatus several times.

If desired, oil can be mixed'with the pulverized ore andwater which forms the mix ture being treated, or oil, an emulsifying or other material, may be introduced into the aerated water'and thus introduced into the flowing mixture, but this is not essential to thesuccessful operation of my apparatus and forms no part- .of my present invention. The apparatus herein shown, which forms the subject-matter of my, present invention, is ,intended to be used for practising the method described and claimed in my pending application Serial No.- 19,313, filed April 3, 1915.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a vertical sectional view of my improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on. the line 2'-2 of Fig. l.

. that is in oduced the tank container consists cl a tank 1, preferably conicalla-pod its opposite ends and provided at its lower end with a dis charge pipe :2. A pipe 5 that projects into the upper end of the tank or container '1 leads from a mixer not shown) in which pulverized ore and water or pulverized ore, oil and. water are thoroughly mixed together. Aerated water, or water containing air in solution, is introducel into thecoin Said apparatus tainer 1 at a number of levels. In the appae 'atus herein shown a" aerated water supply pipe 5 is provided with branches 5, each of which leads to a water discharge device arranged inside the container 1, said devices 5 preferably consisting of hollow members provided with 0121- ring-shaped ices through which jets of r water are discharged into the mixture that flows downwardly thirough the container 1.

It is immaterial, so far as'niy present invention is concerned, how the water that is supplied to the pipe ,5 is charged whh air, but one convenient way of accomplishing this is to connect the pipe 5 to the lower end of a closed. receptacle into which Water and air under pressure are introduced by means of a nozzle Gto which an air pipe 7 and water pipe 8 lead. The upper endof 1 is open to the atmosphere, so that the jets or streams of aerated win 1 introduced into lowing mixture in. s container by the devices 5 will ni u n'tesimally small nascent bubbles o 0 form continuously and rise upwardl; rough the, mixture in said containcr thus carrying to the If the nurture that is introduced into the tank 1. contains oil the oil will rise to the surfaceot the mixture with'the metallic particles oi the ore and how over the upper edge the tanlr. 1 into a cup 9 from which a oischargc conduit leads. The water in the mixture and the water that is introduced into the tank 1 by the devices 5 escapes through the dischargeoutlet 2 at the lower end oi the tank with the rocky particles of: the ore.

In an apparatus of the construction. above described practically all of the metallic particles oftbe ore recovered, owing .to the fact that small nascent bubbles of air are being formed continuously in the mixture and at different levels or at diffen ent zones through which the mixture passes in traveling through the container 1. the bubbles created by into the lower portion of the container 1 by the bottom. device 5 dissolve before they reach the surface of the mixture, the metallic particles of ore to which said bubbles are attacned and which being carried upwardly through the mix ture will not fall or cease to move upwardly,

surface of said -mixture the metallic particles ot the ore.

aerated water.

because the'bubbles of air that are created at one of the higher zones compensate for ortake the place of the dissolved bubbles, and thus continue the upward movement of the metallic particles of the ore which were started on their upward travel by the dissolved bubbles.

The tank or container 1 is preferably made comparatively high and a suiiicient number of the devices 5? are preferably provided to insure practically a complete separation of the metallic and rocky constitucuts of the ore'in one treatment, thereby overcoming the, necessity of re-treating the mixture or running it through the apparatus several times. k v

-l Vhi.le I prefer to use all of the devices 5 for supplying aerated water to the mixtui'e, one ofsaid devices 5*, preferably the one located near the middle of the container 1, may be used as a suction device for the purpose of removing or drawing off slimes or other material in the mixture that are in a state of suspension. Therefore, 1 have rovided the apparatus with a valve 10 for. cutting of the middle device 5 in the container from the aerated water supply line o and, have provided a suction line 11 equipped with a controlling valve 11 that is combined with the intermediate device 5 in the container in the manner shown' in the drawings, the valve 10 being closed and the valve 11* opened when it is desired to use the intermediate device 5 for the purpose ofdrawing off slimes or other material in the mixture that are in a state of suspension.

Having thus described my 1 claim, and desire to secure by cut, is:

.1. An apparatus for scparating'themetallicand rocky constituentscf ores comprising means for introducing water containing air in solution into aflowing mixture of crushed ore and water at a number of different points along the path of travel of the mixture so as to cause nascent bubbles of invention, what Letters Patair to form continuously in said mixture and rise to the surface thereof to carry off the metallic particles of the ore.

2. An apparatus for separating the metallie and rocky constituents of ores, comprising a member that forms a passageway, means to causing a mixture of crushed ore ing a memberthat forms a passageway, and means for discharging aerated water into said passageway at a number of difi'cu ent zones so to cause nascent bubbles of air to be created in the mixture for the purpose oit'carrying the metallic particles of the ore l upwardly to the surface of the mixture.

, 3. An apparatus for separating the metal lie and rocky constituents of orcs,'comprising a vertn ally-disposed container whose upper end is open, means for supplying a mixture of crushed ore and water to said container, said container being provided with adlscharge outlet at its lower end, and means for introducing Water containing air in solution into said container at a number of'difierent levels so as to cause infinitesimally small nascent bubbles of air to form continuously in the mixture and pass upwardly through same so as to carry the metallic particles ofthe ore upwardly to a point Where they can be collected.

4. An apparatus for separating the'metallie and rock constituents of ores, compris' mg a member that forms a/ passageway through which a mixture of ulverized ore and water is adapted toifiow, and means for causing saidgmixture to be subjected repeatedl-y to the/ action of aerated water at dif-' "frefit zones in the passageway while the bles of air in the mixture which rise upwardly through same, and an independent meansfor creating small nascent bubbles of air at a higher point in the container so as to compensate for the bubbles of air that start at the lower portion of the container but which dissolve during their upward travel through the mixture. v

6. An apparatus for separating the metallic and rocky constituents of ores, comprising' a vertically-disposed container through which a mixture of pulverized ore and water is adapted to flow, a plurality of waterdis charging devices arranged intermediate" the inlet and outlet of said container,. and means for supplying aerated water or Water containing air in solution to said devices.

7. An apparatus for separating the metallic and rocky constituents of ores, comprising a vertically-disposed container "whose upper end is open to the atmosphere and which is provided at its lower' end with a discharge outlet, means for supplying a mixture ofcrushed ore and water to the upper portion of said container, means for charging water with air, means for introducing said aerated water into said contamer at a number of diiferent levels so as to create infinitesimally small nascent bubblesof air in the mixture that flows through said container.

8. An apparatus for separating the metallic and rocky constituents of ores, comprising a member that forms a passageway through which a mixture of ore and Water is adapted to flow, means for introducing aerated water into said member at a number of different zones so as to create email 65 nascent bubbles of air in "the mixture, and means arranged intermediate the'inlet and discharge of said passageway forrernoving the shines and other materials in the mixture that are in a state of suspension while the mixture is traveling through said passageyu- 9. An apparatus 'tfor separating themetallic and rocky constituents of ores, comprising a passageway through which a mixture of crushed ore and waterlis adapted to flow, means for introducing aerated water into said passageway, an independent water-discharging device arranged intermediate the inlet and outlet of said passageway, and

s ot

means whereby said device can be used either i to supply aerated water to the mixture or to draw ofi' slimes and other material in the mixture that are in. a state of suspension.

10. An apparatus for separating the metallic and rocky constituents of ores, com+ prising a container through which a mixture of crushed ore and water is adapted to flow,

means for introducing aerated water into the lower portion of said container, an independent water-discharging device arranged in the container intermediate the inlet and outlet 01": same, said device being connected to a supply of water that contains air in solution, a, valve for cutting off said device from said water supply, a suction. line lead.

ing to said device, and a valve-for cutting ofl' communication between said device and said suction line.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alfix my signature in the presence of two witnesses,

this 29 day of March, 1915.

DUDLEY H. NORRIS.

Witnesses:

O. A. Econus,

Mirror: 1. HOFFMAN.

Corrections in Letters Patent N0. 1,167,835.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent m 1,. ,o u, granted January 11, v 1916, upon the application of Dudley H: Norris, of San Francisco, California, for

I an improvernent in Apparatus'forSeparating the Metallic and Rocky Constituents of 0res, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as; follows:

Page 2, line 120, strike out the syllable and Words inga member that forms a and insert the Words and water to flow through said; page 3, line 13, claim 4, for the Word read rocky; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with these corrections therein that-the same may cohforrn to the recordgof theoasie in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of February, A. 1)., 1916.

' SEAL v J. T. NEWTON,- I

Admit Commissioner of Patents'fll i 

